Business Development Manager – Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester (Hybrid)

Location: North
Salary: DOE
Salary band: £50,000 - £69,000
Contract type: Permanent
Date posted:

The Firm

Our client is a highly regarded national law firm with a strong public sector practice. Local Government is one of its fastest-growing and most strategically important sectors, and the firm is now looking for a senior business development lead to help drive its next phase of growth.

The Role

As Business Development Manager, you’ll be the senior BD lead for the Local Government sector, working closely with the Head of Sector, divisional sector leads, framework leads and client account leads. You’ll help shape and deliver the sector’s growth strategy, drive client development, strengthen market position and generate sustainable revenue growth.

This is a role that combines strategic advice with hands-on delivery. You’ll act as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders while leading planning, client development initiatives and market-facing campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and planning

• Support the development and delivery of the sector’s business development and marketing strategy and annual plan, in line with firmwide priorities
• Develop distinctive sector propositions, positioning and key messages, informed by market trends, client priorities and competitor activity
• Advise on sector budgets and monitor pipeline, revenue and return on investment
• Support monthly sector meetings with performance analysis, client intelligence and clear action plans

Client development

• Shape the approach for priority clients, strategic targets and growth opportunities, including the sector’s key client programme
• Develop account, relationship and growth plans with client account leads to deepen relationships and support long-term retention
• Partner with lawyers and the bids and frameworks teams on procurements, frameworks, panels and major proposals
• Support the onboarding of major client wins and identify opportunities for further growth

Marketing and profile

• Lead integrated campaigns, thought leadership, events, roundtables and webinars
• Work with communications and marketing colleagues to promote the sector and its lawyers, and coach senior lawyers on visibility and personal brand
• Lead sector submissions to legal directories and awards
• Build relationships with Local Government bodies, membership organisations and key influencers
• Ensure the firm’s social value credentials are represented consistently across campaigns and opportunities

Data and insight

• Lead the sector’s use of CRM and client intelligence systems, improving adoption and data quality
• Produce dashboards and management information to identify opportunities, risks and priorities
• Promote a data-led, commercially focused approach to pipeline forecasting and business planning

Leadership

• Act as principal BD adviser to the Head of Local Government and sector leadership
• Challenge and influence decisions constructively, keeping focus on the greatest commercial impact
• Coach lawyers in client development, networking and cross-selling
• Lead and mentor junior BD and marketing colleagues, and help strengthen the team’s tools and processes

About You

• Significant business development and marketing experience in a law firm, professional services or consultancy environment
• A strong track record of developing and delivering growth strategies within a sector or practice group
• Proven success in account management and strategic relationship management
• Experience leading BD input into complex bids, frameworks and major opportunities
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing budgets, business plans and performance reporting
• Confident user of CRM systems and management information
• Knowledge of Local Government, the public sector or regulated markets would be an advantage

You’ll be a strategic, commercially minded thinker with real presence: credible with senior stakeholders, comfortable challenging constructively, highly organised and resilient in a fast-paced environment.

Please e-mail your CV and covering letter in the strictest confidence to rumman.ahmed@bluelegal.com

Once you have sent your CV, feel free to telephone me on 0207 118 3003.

Please note: Due to the specific sectors we work in, only candidates with valid work experience in a Law Firm, Accountancy Firm, Management Consultancy, Property/Construction Firm, Financial Services Firm or a high-profile relevant Association or Agency will be considered. We regret that our clients will not accept applications outside of these areas.

Blue Legal offers the services of an employment agency for permanent work and an employment business for temporary work. For more positions like these, check out our website at www.bluelegal.com or follow us on Twitter for the widest range of roles across the entire professional services sector @bluelegalrec.